Are sellers behind schedule after cleaning up the mess from the disastrous wind storm and flooding that hit Leavenworth in December? Or are they ahead of schedule because of a mild winter without much in the way of snow?

Are buyers being cautious because of war in the Middle East and its effect on gas prices and the stock market? Or are they taking advantage of the choices they have with increased housing inventory?

For the first quarter of 2026 in Leavenworth, listing activity is very high while sales are down and prices are flat.

The number of homes listed is probably the most significant of these data points. 56 single family homes have been listed for sale in the first 3 months of 2026 in Leavenworth. We have not seen anything close to this since the 52 homes that were listed in 2015. Most years we see 30-35 homes listed, with the exception of 2023 which only had 13.

The median sales price in Leavenworth for a single family home was $882,000 which was virtually unchanged from last year’s $900,000 price. The average price for a home in Leavenworth for the first three months of 2026 was $850,000. This sits right between 2024 and 2025’s average sales prices of $932,000 and $787,000.

It does not appear that the December floods delayed any spring listings. On the contrary, it seems that a mild winter allowed many sellers to get their homes on the market sooner than normal. This has certainly been our personal experience with many clients able to list their home at the beginning of April instead of the beginning of May.

The lack of closed sales is disappointing, but it’s unclear if it is significant. We had hoped that 2025’s larger sales volume was a return to years with 25-30 sales, but perhaps 2025 was a blip and the “new normal” is sales volume in the low teens for the first quarter.

What does the rest of spring look like for the Leavenworth real estate market?

An optimist might suggest that our peak spring selling season of May and June was gifted an extra month in 2026. A pessimist might point to global events and predict that economic uncertainty will lower consumer confidence and cool the real estate market.

For Leavenworth home sellers, this means pricing strategy is now more critical than at any point in the last decade. For buyers, 2026’s increased inventory brings numerous opportunities among multiple price points and in most neighborhoods.

Required disclaimers:

Information and statistics derived from Northwest Multiple Listing Service. Additionally, this representation is based in whole or in part on data supplied by the North Central Washington Association of Realtors or its Multiple Listing Service. Neither the Association nor its MLS guarantees or are in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by the Association or its MLS may not reflect all real estate activity in the Market.

The post First Quarter 2026 Leavenworth Real Estate appeared first on Icicle Creek Homes.

Chelan County requires permits for those homeowners looking to rent their home as a vacation rental (STR) for periods shorter than 30 days. The permit costs $500 and needs to be renewed annually.

When does Chelan County accept new Short Term Rental permit applications?

Permit applications for Chelan County short term rentals are accepted each year between June 1 and July 31st.

Is there a limit on the number of vacation rentals in Leavenworth?

There is a cap on the total number of Short Term Rentals allowed in each zone. For most zones, the number of short term rentals is capped at 6% of the current housing stock.

In the Leavenworth, Lake Wenatchee, and Plain areas, existing vacation rentals were “grandfathered” into the code which means that there are more rental properties than the code allows.

In 2026, the Leavenworth zip code had 70 more vacation rentals than the caps allow for. This includes 5 in unincorporated Leavenworth, 59 at Lake Wenatchee, and 6 in Plain. In 2023, there were 120 properties above the cap.

If you want to apply for a new STR permit for a vacation rental in Leavenworth, Lake Wenatchee or Plain, you won’t be able to do so in 2026. However, you can apply for a permit at Kahler Glen, which is not subject to these caps.

What are my options if I can’t apply for an STR permit in Leavenworth?

In the Leavenworth zip code, your best bet is to buy an existing vacation rental that has a transferable Chelan County STR permit before September of 2026 or purchase a condo in the city limits of Leavenworth in a commercially zoned area.

If you are considering starting a new vacation rental in other parts of Chelan County, there are permits available.  In 2026 are 13 permits available in the Peshastin zip code and 100 permits available in Cashmere.

The post Can I apply for a short term rental permit in Leavenworth? appeared first on Icicle Creek Homes.

Vacation rentals are known as short term rentals or STRS or even “nightly / weekly rentals.” Any rental of a home less than 30 days is a short term rental. Rentals that are longer than 30 days are considered long term rentals and are subject to Washington State’s Landlord Tenant act and not Chelan County regulations.

One of the first skirmishes in the movement to regulate or ban vacation rentals was in the Chiwawa River Pines neighborhood in 2008. In a series of contentious meetings, the HOA voted to amend the covenants (CCRs) and prohibit short term rentals. Many argued that the ban was not new, but merely new enforcement of an existing ban on commercial activities.

The original ban was for rentals shorter than 6 months, which was challenged in court. In 2011, the neighborhood voted again and enacted a ban on any rentals shorter than one month.

Owners of vacation rentals sued and the lawsuit made its way through the court system until it ended up in the Washington State Supreme Court.

The state Supreme Court ruled against the neighborhood and revoked their ban on vacation rentals in 2014.

Neighborhood groups, mostly in the Leavenworth and Lake Wenatchee area had tried for many years to regulate or ban short term rentals and looked to Chelan County Commissioners for help. The commissioners leaned on both the planners at Community Development and the volunteer members of the Chelan County Planning Commision to make proposed rules.

After numerous stops and starts, the Chelan County Commissioners made a decisive move in 2020 by issuing a Chelan County Moratorium against any new short term rentals.  They planned to regulate and issue permits for short term rentals and also wanted a cap on the total number of grandfathered (non-conforming) rental units.

Real estate brokers throughout the Leavenworth and Lake Wenatchee area educated their buyers in 2020 and 2021 about the Chelan County Moratorium (and its extension) and most homebuyers found themselves initialing a copy as proof of receipt.

A final version of Chelan County short term rental rules was enacted in July of 2021 and came into effect in September of 2021.

 These new Chelan County short term rental rules include:

• Permits required for all short term rentals
• Recreational vehicles, tents or other temporary or mobile units are not considered short-term rentals.
• Permits can only be transferred once
• Limits on the number of guests, including daytime occupancy.
• In most parts of Chelan County, the maximum share of short-term rentals is capped at 6 percent of the total housing stock.
•  Existing rentals could be grandfathered into the system 
• New permits only if there is room in the cap
• New permits require minimum acreage based on zoning

Chelan County announced that they would accept permits from existing short term rental owners from September 2021 to December 31, 2021.  Applications for new permits could be submitted after January 1, 2022 but would not be reviewed until all of the grandfathered permits were processed.

Many people were surprised by the low number of permit applications received from existing short term rental owners. Less than 700 permits were issued, though earlier estimates from county consultants suggested that 1300 short term rentals previously existed.  This could be the result of many owners deciding not to continue renting and deciding the permit was not worth the hassle or perhaps there were not as many total vacation rentals as opponents had claimed and they did not represent as big a portion of the housing stock as assumed. It is quite reasonable to assert that while vacation homes are a large part of the real estate market,  STRs are only a small fraction.

After Chelan County approved STR permits for existing rentals, it became clear that all of the Leavenworth zones were oversubscribed and had exceeded the caps. Leavenworth, Lake Wenatchee and Plain were full and no new short term rental permits would be issued for these zones.

In 2022, Leavenworth had permitted STRs at 16% of the total housing stock, while Plain was at 7% and Lake Wenatchee at 9%.  Significant attrition will need to occur before any new permits will be issued in these areas.

Chelan County now publishes a chart showing how much room is in the cap for each zone and where new permits might be available. 

https://www.co.chelan.wa.us/community-development/pages/short-term-rental-statistics

In 2026, there are still more grandfathered STRs in the Leavenworth zip code than the cap allows. Unincorporated Leavenworth had 5 more than the cap, Plain has 6 and Lake Wenatchee has 59 properties. When these totals drop below the cap, then new applications will be reviewed.

Chelan County Short Term Rental FAQs

Are short term rentals allowed in Chelan County?

Are short term rentals allowed in Chelan County?

Yes, short term rentals are allowed in Chelan County, but they must be permitted and we don’t know when new permits will be issued in Leavenworth in the coming years.

Is it possible to buy a vacation rental in Leavenworth?

Yes, you can buy a property that has an existing STR permit. You will likely pay a premium for a property that can be rented legally.

This permit will expire when you sell the property and the new owner likely will not be able to rent it. 

Can I apply for a short term rental permit in Leavenworth or Lake Wenatchee?

No, there are more permits existing than the cap allows. It is possible to apply for a permit in Peshastin or other areas, but not in Leavenworth.

Do the short term rules apply at Kahler Glen ?

Yes, these rules apply for condos at Kahler Glen and for neighborhoods like Ponderosa Estates and Chiwawa River Pines. However, Kahler Glen has been excluded from the caps, so it is possible to apply for a new permit in June or July each year.

Do these vacation rental rules apply for the city of Leavenworth?

No, the city of Leavenworth has its own rules for vacation rentals.

These rules apply to unincorporated Chelan County.

The post Are there new Chelan County short term rental rules? appeared first on Icicle Creek Homes.

Signs of Stability After A Slow Start

Leavenworth home sales often mirror broader economic trends, particularly shifts in the stock market and consumer sentiment. As financial markets began to recover in May, local real estate activity followed suit — with a lag.

After only seven closings in May and five in June, a wave of contracts written in early summer led to 18 July closings, nearly as many as sold in April, May and June combined. Altogether, 45 homes sold during the third quarter, suggesting that buyers are re-engaging, though selectively.

Year-over-Year Perspective

Looking at the broader picture, the 2025 sales pace closely tracks 2024. Through September, 92 single-family homes have sold in Leavenworth, compared to 89 during the same period last year. Home values have remained relatively steady, with an average sale price of $919,000 and a median price of $795,000 during the summer months.

For now, prices appear to be holding firm — neither accelerating rapidly nor showing signs of significant decline.

Oversupply Keeps the Market in Buyers’ Hands

Despite the recent uptick in activity, Leavenworth remains a buyer’s market. Roughly 100 homes are currently listed for sale, representing a nine to ten-month supply based on recent absorption rates. (A six-month supply is typically considered balanced; fewer than that signals a seller’s market.)
This surplus of inventory gives buyers room to negotiate while encouraging sellers to price strategically and remain flexible.

Looking Ahead to Winter

As autumn turns to winter, the seasonal slowdown is likely to continue. Many sellers traditionally withdraw listings during the colder months, planning to re-enter the market in spring. Sales activity is expected to remain consistent with last year’s pace through the end of 2025.

While an anticipated improvement in interest rates may provide a modest boost, it’s unlikely to dramatically shift the market in the short term. For now, buyers can enjoy favorable conditions, and sellers should focus on presenting their homes competitively to stand out in a crowded field.

Required disclaimers:

Information and statistics derived from Northwest Multiple Listing Service. Additionally, this representation is based in whole or in part on data supplied by the North Central Washington Association of Realtors or its Multiple Listing Service. Neither the Association nor its MLS guarantees or are in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by the Association or its MLS may not reflect all real estate activity in the Market.

The post Leavenworth Real Estate Update Summer 2025 appeared first on Icicle Creek Homes.

In early April, after the announcement of new tariffs the Dow Jones index lost over 4,000 points (9.48%), S&P declined 10%, and the Nasdaq lost 11% in just two days. Eventually, there was some reduction in tariffs and the stock market did eventually return to positive numbers by mid-May.

Purchasing a home is a big financial decision and in times of uncertainty and unpredictability buyers often sit on the sidelines. In the spring of 2025, they did just that.

Only 20 homes sold between April and June in Leavenworth in 2025. This is a 45% decline from the same period in 2024 and the lowest sales volume in the past decade.

The average home in Leavenworth sold for $925,000 this spring with the median home price at $787,000.

While spring home prices for Leavenworth are down compared to 2024, the pricing trend is generally upward over the past 5 years.

Required disclaimers:

Information and statistics derived from Northwest Multiple Listing Service. Additionally, this representation is based in whole or in part on data supplied by the North Central Washington Association of Realtors or its Multiple Listing Service. Neither the Association nor its MLS guarantees or are in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by the Association or its MLS may not reflect all real estate activity in the Market.

The post Leavenworth Home Prices Spring 2025 appeared first on Icicle Creek Homes.

The stock market and the world economy have been rife with uncertainty and fears of inflation or a recession rarely give homebuyers confidence. It would be safe to expect to see those fears play out in sales data from the Leavenworth real estate market. However, any such fears aren’t yet apparent in the data from the first three months of 2025.

As is always the case, it’s easy enough to create some shocking headlines that don’t tell the real story.

Home prices drop 19% in Leavenworth!

Or conversely,

Home sales up 70%!

Both of these are true and illustrate how a small sample size can be impacted greatly by just a few sales.

The number of homes sold in 2025 is good news. After three years of slow starts, the first quarter of 2025 has returned to its 10 year average of 24 sold homes.

In terms of house prices, the average home price in Leavenworth remains 30% higher than in the first quarter of 2020 (before the COVID housing boom.) The average home price in Leavenworth was $900,000 and the median price was $787,000 for the first quarter.

What will 2025 Leavenworth home prices do in this spring?

This is the question that is on everyone’s mind. April home sales appear to be similar to 2024, but May and June are bellwether months for the Leavenworth market. Sellers and real estate agents alike are very interested to see what the coming months bring and how they will affect 2025 Leavenworth home prices.

Required disclaimers:

Information and statistics derived from Northwest Multiple Listing Service. Additionally, this representation is based in whole or in part on data supplied by the North Central Washington Association of Realtors or its Multiple Listing Service. Neither the Association nor its MLS guarantees or are in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by the Association or its MLS may not reflect all real estate activity in the Market.

The post 2025 Leavenworth Home Prices appeared first on Icicle Creek Homes.

Buyers watching Zillow and the MLS are seeing increased inventory and price reductions are common, so it’s interesting to ask if Leavenworth is now a buyer’s market. The Leavenworth real estate market is made of a few different sectors and price ranges, so we will specifically look at whether it’s a buyer’s or seller’s market for cabins in Leavenworth and Lake Wenatchee.

What is a cabin?

For the purposes of statistics, we are not using the traditional style or aesthetic of a cabin that you might imagine. Instead we are defining it with some easily searchable terms.

1. Located outside of the city limits of Leavenworth
2. Single family, stick built construction  – not a condo or manufactured home
3. Lot size less than 1 acre.
4. Price between $400,000 and $1,000,000.

The market for Leavenworth cabins

In the past 12 months (the end of 2023 and the first half of 2024, roughly) 29 homes that meet this definition of a cabin sold in the Leavenworth and Lake Wenatchee area.

These Leavenworth cabins sold for a median price of $680,000 and were listed on the market for a median of just 35 days on market.

For buyers looking to purchase a cabin in Leavenworth, there are now 30 homes listed for sale. The median list price of a Leavenworth cabin is $699,000.

Based on this rate of sales, there are 12 months of supply! Anything more than 6 months would be considered a buyer’s market and 12 months suggests that buyers have a strong advantage.

When we look at days on market, the median cabin listing has been on the market for almost 90 days. After 3 months, one might expect that sellers are willing to negotiate on price.

Price reductions are also commonplace. Currently 70% of the cabins listed for sale have reduced their list price, some of them many times. 30% of listings normally require a price reduction, but 70% tells us that sellers and their agents are not correctly pricing for today’s market.

Not every house in Leavenworth is a cabin

Buyers would be wise to remember that this report only covers a small subset of homes for sale in the Leavenworth market. Many home types are not covered here and not all sectors of the market favor buyers.

In fact, some sectors are strong seller’s markets and could result in bidding wars! 

Buyers shouldn’t expect discounts for:

• Houses on Lake Wenatchee 
• Houses on Fish Lake
• Riverfront homes on the Wenatchee River
• Riverfront homes on Icicle Creek
• Houses on acreage
• Ski Hill homes on 1 acre
• Houses with Short Term Rental Permits
• Leavenworth Condominiums that can be rented as AirBnb
• Multifamily properties such as duplexes or triplexes

Buyers recognize value

The other key factor to remember is that there will always be sales and even bidding wars in a buyer’s market. Buyers recognize value and there will still be many properties that sell quickly, even if the majority do not.

At this moment there are 7 homes in Leavenworth that are currently pending/ under contract that meet our definition of a cabin.

5 of these homes accepted offers in less than 2 weeks. While many homes are sitting on the market for longer periods, good properties, priced well, will continue to sell quickly.

Required disclaimers:

Information and statistics derived from Northwest Multiple Listing Service. Additionally, this representation is based in whole or in part on data supplied by the North Central Washington Association of Realtors or its Multiple Listing Service. Neither the Association nor its MLS guarantees or are in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by the Association or its MLS may not reflect all real estate activity in the Market.

The post Is the fall of 2024 the best time to buy a cabin in Leavenworth? appeared first on Icicle Creek Homes.

How many homes sold in Leavenworth this Summer?

The number of home sales was similar to Spring of 2024 and has slightly increased compared to the summer of 2023. A total of 39 single family homes sold in Leavenworth in the 3rd quarter of 2024, compared to 34 the previous year.  Sales volume continues to be significantly reduced in the post-pandemic years.

From 2014 to 2019, an average of 53 homes sold each summer, while in the past 4 years, an average of 41 homes sold. This is a 20% decrease in sales volume for single family homes.

Leavenworth Home Prices are up this Summer

Meanwhile, average and median Leavenworth home prices are both up year over year. The average single family home in Leavenworth sold for a record $948,000 in the summer of 2024. The median Leavenworth home sold for $850,000.

While the Federal Reserve did lower the federal funds rate in mid-September, that had no effect on summer closings. In fact, some buyers may have chosen to delay a purchase while waiting for lower interest rates.

For the first three quarters of 2024, we have seen less buyer activity in the more moderate price ranges. Buyers shopping for Leavenworth cabins priced between $500,000 – $900,000 appear to be more rate sensitive than buyers in higher price ranges.

At the same time, purchases above $1,000,000 are quite common and we are seeing a few more sales above $2,000,000 and for the first time, $3,000,000.

Conventional wisdom suggests that additional rate cuts will bring more buyers back into the market and it might bring more sellers as well.  Selling more homes in a variety of price ranges is a sign of a healthy real estate market.

Required disclaimers:

Information and statistics derived from Northwest Multiple Listing Service. Additionally, this representation is based in whole or in part on data supplied by the North Central Washington Association of Realtors or its Multiple Listing Service. Neither the Association nor its MLS guarantees or are in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by the Association or its MLS may not reflect all real estate activity in the Market.

The post Leavenworth home prices Summer 2024 appeared first on Icicle Creek Homes.

2024 has been a little bit of a strange year. Real estate agents have been joking that one of two things will happen when you list a house in this market.

“Either you will get multiple offers, or you will need to do a price reduction in a few weeks.”

While buyers may feel like they are seeing lots of new listings as well as quite a few price reductions, the number of homes sold has been steady and the sold prices continue to climb, year over year.

As is often the case, a quick look at the data would allow you to write some misleading headlines, either about the number of houses that have sold this year compared to the “Pandemic Boom” years (2020-2022) or about Leavenworth home prices compared to last year.

Leavenworth Home Prices this Spring

However, the big picture trends are more interesting to us.  The average price of a single family home in the Leavenworth area is now a record $991,000 and the median sold price has climbed to $849,000. At present, it would appear that Q2 of 2023 was a blip in the long term trend of price growth.  Many felt that the lower prices last year were the beginning of a price correction, but this does not appear to be the case.

Higher priced homes have certainly been driving up average prices. Thirteen homes sold above $ 1 million this quarter including two homes that sold for more than $3 million.

Leavenworth Home Sale Volume

The other interesting data is the number of home sales. This spring 36 homes sold in the Leavenworth area which is the same as the spring of 2023. In fact, when we look at the number of homes sold in the years between 2013-2019 the average number of homes sold in this quarter was 38 with a median of 36 homes sold. Both 2023 and 2024 seem to be right in line with the pre-pandemic transaction volume.

Prediction for Fall of 2024

Many people are wondering what effect lower interest rates will have on the market if the Fed does lower rates one or two times this year.

It’s safe to assume that lower rates will increase sales activity. However, it might not help affordability. Lower rates may bring large numbers of buyers back into the market. If those buyers compete against each other, then home prices will increase again. The winners might end up being sellers not buyers if interest rates go down.

Required disclaimers:

Information and statistics derived from Northwest Multiple Listing Service. Additionally, this representation is based in whole or in part on data supplied by the North Central Washington Association of Realtors or its Multiple Listing Service. Neither the Association nor its MLS guarantees or are in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by the Association or its MLS may not reflect all real estate activity in the Market.

The post Leavenworth Home Prices – Spring 2024 appeared first on Icicle Creek Homes.

The Chiwawa River Pines neighborhood has recently voted to enforce a covenant that bans vacation rentals in their neighborhood.

According to Al Lorenz of the NCW Real Estate Blog (who is also a board member at Chiwawa River Pines), the neighborhood recently voted to allow “Long Term, low impact, service oriented businesses” and “long-term, residential rentals for a period of more than six (6) consecutive months”.

They are no longer allowing “short-term residential rentals for a period of less than six (6) consecutive months”

 As I have mentioned before in earlier posts about the Chiwawa River Pines vacation rental ban I think this will have a negative effect on sales and property values in the neighborhood.

For those who live in the neighborhood, this may increase their quality of life. I certainly can understand the problems that can come from bad neighbors or bad renters next door.

According to my research of the market on the North Central Washington MLS:

•  8 homes sold in the neighborhood in 2007.
•  In 2008 only 1 home has sold so far.
•  Currently 1 home is under contract or “pending”.
•  9 homes are currently listed for sale.
•  3 homes have sold in the past 12 months giving us a 3 Years supply of homes

Chiwawa River Pines used to be a desirable neighborhood. How many current vacation rentals are in the neighborhood? How many of these owners will now put their homes on the market?

I count 6 rentals in Chiwawa River Pines on the ComfyCabins website and I know there are plenty more at VRBO.com

Here’s what one owner had to say on my previous post:

I am a new member to the Chiwawa River Pines community and i was not aware of this issue. Should I have reviewed the bylaws, sure, but I also was aware that there were nightly rentals in the area. In general, I understand your points. However, may of us that did not purchase a home 5 or more years ago are paying a pretty penny to find a vacation home in Leavenworth. While we would all likely to be independently wealthy, many of us look to supplement the cost of a mortgage with nightly rental proceeds.

I also believe that the values will decline since you are removing a subset of the buyers from this community. I understand the risks associated with renters, but I have yet to see a detailed list of violations that have caused such a concern. Do you have one? If so, please share.
Why can’t a 2-3 strikes your out policy be implemented. If a home owner’s renters violate the community rules then the owner will be written up and notified. After 2 or 3 issues, their ability to rent will be removed.

What’s next for Chiwawa River Pines?

I expect the next shoe to drop will be litigation. There are rarely big winners when things like this go to court, but I expect it will. Will the HOA sue to enforce the Chiwawa River Pines vacation rental ban? Will they get sued by owners of current vacation rentals?

Did you buy a vacation home in Chiwawa River Pines hoping to use it as a rental to defer costs? Are you considering buying real estate or holding off on your purchase because of this debate?

Update on Vacation Rental Rules

In 2014, the Washington State Supreme Court overturned the Chiwawa River Pines vacation rental ban. In 2021, Chelan County enacted new rules for short term rentals including requiring permits and regulating the total number of vacation rentals.

The post Chiwawa River Pines – Vacation Rental Ban Update appeared first on Icicle Creek Homes.